Hundreds of quality hides

From the leading names in leather

Hundreds of quality hides from the leading names in leather

In addition to our comprehensive range of fabrics, our sofas can also be manufactured in a wide range of quality leathers. At Long Eaton Sofas®, we use three main types of upholstery leather, from carefully selected suppliers and tanneries:

Aniline

Soft and unique, this type of leather is only made from the very best quality hides and is 100% dyed through the entire thickness. With this process in mind, no two hides are exactly the same and the texture dye and finish penetrations will differ. Every effort is made to achieve exactly the same finished hide, however some variation in colour may occur. The surface of the leather is also untouched showing all of its natural characteristics, with grain variation, scars and natural markings clearly visible. Aniline leather has only a light protective coating of transparent pigment and is the least durable of all the leather types. Aniline leather should be treated with care in domestic environments.

Semi-Aniline

This type of leather is made on good quality hides and is also 100% dyed through the entire thickness. As aniline leather, no two hides are exactly the same and the texture dye and finish penetrations will differ. Every effort is made to achieve exactly the same finished hide, however some variation in colour may occur. The surface of the leather will usually show fewer natural characteristics, however some will still be visible. Semi-aniline hides have a light surface coating applied to the leather after dyeing to make it more durable than aniline leather and more suitable for domestic environments.

Pigmented / Corrected

This type of leather is the most commonly used upholstery leather due to its durability. Corrected grain leather has all the strength of a full grain leather but has had a portion of its grain layer removed in order to increase its usable area. Hides are usually corrected by buffing the outer surface of the leather grain to remove most of its natural characteristics before being given a coating of a colour and an embossed finish. Corrected grain hides are normally uniform in appearance and are very hard wearing, making it more suitable for heavy domestic environments.

To view the latest leather collections from each of our suppliers, simply click on the logo:

The natural characteristics of leather

Animals have individual features on their hides and skins which will have occurred during their time living on the pasture. These natural features are common and occur throughout an animal's life. Find out more about the natural characteristics of leather in this short video from our friends at Yarwood:-

The natural characteristics of real leather

Real leather is a natural product. It breathes, is warm and has individual characteristics, which can make each hide unique. Leather will always bear the marks of its natural origin and these characteristics can show as healed scars, growth marks, areas of differing fibre density and hair pore structure. These hallmarks in no way detract from the wearing qualities of the leather. They are signs discerning owners cherish when buying leather. With the passing of time and use, it develops a patina that enhances its beauty.

Growth Marks and Veins

These are an indication of the age of the animal and in that respect, are similar to the graining on a piece of timber. They range from quite pronounced marks in the neck area to subtle bands across the hide perpendicular to the backbone. Heavy growth marks are usually placed on the outside back of our furniture.

Scars

These form usually as a result of barbed wire damage or by the horns of other cattle. In their healed form, the new skin is as strong as the remainder of the hide. It is impossible to totally avoid scars when manufacturing our furniture. Wherever possible, visible scars are avoided on the tops of arms and cushion panels.

Grain Variation

The fibre texture varies greatly from being loose in the belly and flank areas to being relatively tight across the backbone. The looser areas consequently have more stretch. The variation in pore structure is particularly noticeable in untextured leathers where clusters of open pores can sometimes be seen.

Shade Variation

No two hides are alike and due to the varying grain structure mentioned above, the dyes and finishes penetrate to differing degrees in different parts of the hide to give an attractive variation. Whilst every attempt is made to achieve uniformity, this is not always possible and sometimes not desirable.

Come and see us

At Long Eaton Sofas, we we have a wide range of leather swatches for you to select from.

Visit our showroom, take a seat and browse through them at your leisure. We look forward to seeing you.